Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-09-17
bad already failed.
CHAPTER XIV.
soRars' SONG.

queens, the mobiles and the people We'd with
each other in doing us honor and showering
gifts upon us. As for that painful little Incl
dent of the hippopotami it sank into obliv-
ion, where we were quite content TO leave it.
/ Every day deputations and individuals
waited on us to examine our guns and cloth
ing, our chain shirts and our instruments, es-
pecially our watches, with which they were
much delighted. In short, we became quite
the rage, so much so that some of the fash
ionable young swells among the Zu-Vendi
began to copy the cut of some of our clothes,
notably Sir Henry's shooting jacket. One
day, indeed, deputation waited on us and,
as usual, Good donned his full dress uniform
for the occasion. This deputation seemed
somehow to be of different class 20 those
who generally came to visit us. They were
little Insignificant looking men of an exces-
sively polite, not to say servile, demeanor,
and their attention appeared to be chiefly
taken up with observing the details of Goods
full dress uniform, of which they took copi-
Gus notes and measurements Good was
much BATTERED at the time, not suspecting
that he had to deal with the six leading tail
ors of Milosis A fortnight afterwards, how
ever, when on attending court as usual he
had the pleasure of seeing some seven or eight
Zu-Vendi "mashers" arrayed in all the glory
of very fair imitation Of his full dress uni
form, he changed his mind. / shah never
forget his face of establishment and disgust
1t was after this, chiefly in order to avoid re-
mark, and also because our clothes were
wearing out and had to be saved up, we re-
solved to adopt the native dress and Iery
comfortable one we found it, though / am
bonnd to say that looked sufficiently ludir
crous In 1t, ana as Tor Afphonse! Only Um
slopogaas would have none of these things.
when his moocka was worn out the fierce old
Zulu made him a new one, and went about
unconcerned as grim and naked as his own
battle ak.
Meanwhile we pursued our study of the
language steadily and made very good prog
ress. On the morning following our adven-
ture in the temple three grave and reverend
seigniors presented themselves armed with
manuscript books ink horns and feather pens
and indicated that they had been sent to teach
us, and, with the exception of Umslopogaas,
we all buckled to with q will, doing four
hours day AS for Umslopogaas he would
have none of that either He did not wish to
learn that "woman's talk" not he, and when
one of the teachers advanced on him with
book and an ink horn and waved them before
him in mild, persuasive way, much as
church warden invitingly shakes the offertory
bag under the nose of rich but niggardiy
parishioner, he sprang up with fierce oath
and flashed lnkosi-kaas before the eyes of our
learned friend, and there was an end of the
ATTEMPT to teach him Zu-Vendi
Thus we spent our mornings in useful occu-
patton, which grew more and more interest
ing as we proceeded, and the afternoons were
given up to recreation. Sometimes we made
trips, notably one to the gold mines and an
other to the marble quarries, both of which
wish | had space and time to describe, and
sometimes we went out hunting buck with
dogs trained for that purpose, and very ex-
citing sport it is, as the country is full of
agricultural Enclosures, and our horses were
magnificent. This is not to be wondered at,
seeing that the royal stables were at our com
mand, in addition to which we had four
splendid saddle horses given to us by Nv.
leptha.
In the evenings it was customary for SIC
Henry, Good and myself to dine, or rather
sup, with their majesties-not every night,
indeed, but about three or four times week,
whenever they had not much company or the
affairs of state would allow of it. And | am
bound to say that those little suppers were
quite the most charming things of their sort
that l ever had to do with. How true is the
saying that the very highest in rank are
always the most simple and kindly 1t is
from your half and half sort of people that
you get pomposity and vulgarity, the differ
ence between the two being very much what
one sees every day in England between the
old, out at elbows, broken down county fam
lily and the overbearing, purse proud people
who come and "take the place" | really
think that Nyleptha's greatest charm is her
sweet simplicity, and her kindly, genuine M
terest even in little things. She is the sim
plest woman ever knew, and where her pas
sions are not involved one of the sweetest;
but she can look queenly enough when she
likes and be as fierce as any savage too
For instance, never shall forget that scene
when | for the first time was sure that she
was really in love with Curtis. Itcame about
in this way-all through Coos weakness for
ladies' society. When we had been employed
for some three months in learning Zu-Vendi
it struck Master Good that he was getting
rather tired Of the old gentlemen who did us
the honor TO lead us in the way that we
sAould go, so he proceeded, without saving
word to anybody else, to inform them that it
was a peculiar fact, but that we could not make
any real progress in the deeper intricacies of
a foreign language unless we were taught by
ladies-young ladies, he was careful to ex-
plain. In his own country, he pointed out, it
was habitual to choose the very best looking
and most charming girls who could be found
TO instruct any strangers who happened to
come that way, etc.
All Of this the old gentlemen swallowed
open mouthed. There was, they admitted,
reason in what he said, since the contempla-
ton Of the beautiful as their philosophy
aught, induced certain porosity of mind
similar to that produced upon the physical
body by the healthful influences of sun and air;
consequently it was probable that we might
absorb the Zu-Vendi tongue little faster if
suitable teachers could be found Another
thing was that as the female sex was naturally
loquacious, good practice would be gained in
the viva voce department of our studies.
To all of this Good gravely assented, and
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